This project, codenamed CoreFORGE, aims to design and build two custom voltage regulation modules (VRMs) that can replace the stock regulators on the Sony PlayStation 3 Slim (Cech25xx). The modules will provide stable and efficient power delivery to the CELL Broadband Engine (CPU) and the RSX Reality Synthesizer (GPU). The CELL is measured to run at 1V with a power draw of 22A at idle and 30A under full load, while the RSX has been measured to run at 930mV and draws 11A at idle and 17A under load. As such the power draw for each of these chips is significant, and replacement VRM modules have to be designed with care. The motivation for this work is twofold: one to address a gap in the PlayStation 3 hardware modding scene, where no replacement VRMs of sufficient power currently exist. And two to contribute to the broader BitBuilt community, which specializes in reverse engineering and modifying legacy game consoles into portable, battery-powered devices. Similar VRM replacements have been successfully developed for the lower powered Nintendo Wii, Nintendo 64, and Sony PlayStation 2, but the PlayStation 3 remains largely unexplored due to its high-power usage.
NOTE: CoreFORGE is still in the prototype phase, and is untested, and the firmware for it has yet to be developed. I don't recommend anyone print and manufacture the CoreFORGE yet till development is done and tested. This project is currently only for reference.
(This github page is still WIP, and will change as the project continues)
PCB layout
3D Render
With terminals for bench testing
Without terminals for direct mounting to PS3
CoreFORGE hardware designed by RoseDaggerDev
CoreFORGE hardware is licensed under Solderpad Hardware License v2.1.